Leadership Mistakes to Avoid

Taking on a leadership role can be both exciting and intimidating. If it is your first time as a manager or supervisor, taking on the responsibilities of a team could be difficult at first. With so much responsibility, it can be easy to make a mistake. By having some knowledge ahead of time, you can avoid these typical leadership mistakes: Not Recognizing Failure As a leader, it’s important to have humility. Recognizing that ​no one is perfect and failure is inevitable​ is what makes a strong leader. When a leader is able to accept that even they can messes up every now and then, it helps their team. If your team is able to see that even you make mistakes, it will help them build confidence in their own work. Failure is simply an opportunity to learn from mistakes.

Emotional Intelligence It’s easy to say “business is business”, but many leaders have come to understand that this just isn't true. Every team member and employee has their own skills and talent and way of operating. This is why it is important to have emotional intelligence. It’s important to understand when a team member is feeling overwhelmed or underappreciated. This will make your team members more comfortable coming to you with any questions, comments, or concerns.

No Goals in Mind To be a leader, you need to lead. Leaders will go absolutely nowhere without a set of goals in mind. By having goals, you are able to give your team members purpose and drive. Goals are

what support the organization and set everyone up for success. When setting goals, keep the organization’s mission in mind.

Poor Communication One of the most important skills a leader can have is communication. Without proper communication, important information can slip through the cracks. Whether it’s through email, phone calls, meetings, or one on one conversations, it’s important to know how to communicate with your team members. ​Keep them up to date on the latest developments​ and new information as frequently as possible.